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Fifth Annual Flags for Freedom Honors Sgt. Robert Hendriks

Locust Valley High School’s fifth annual Flags for Freedom ceremony was marked by the traditional gifting of American flags to each high school senior by members of the Locust Valley and Bayville American Legions. However, the gathering held on May 20 in the school’s auditorium had even more meaning than those held in previous years, as the event honored fallen Marine Sgt. Robert Hendriks, a member of the Locust Valley High School Class of 2012.

Marked by speeches from school officials, veterans and students, the ceremony paid tribute to Sgt. Hendriks’ strong character, good nature and sensitive, kind soul. Senior Caitlin O’Hare joined honored guest U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. Cherise S. Herrara in remembering Sgt. Hendriks, based on descriptions from his friends and fellow Marines.

Caitlin said that he was an upstander, always looking to protect his friends and family. “When he put his mind to something, he would do it and do it well, making it no surprise that directly after graduation he enlisted in the United State Marines, sacrificing everything,” she said.

Staff Sgt. Herrara said that even though she did not know Sgt. Hendriks personally, he was her brother. She described his military career, explaining that his occupation was as an infantry machine gunner. While his life may have been taken, she said his legacy cannot be taken away. “People who knew him described as a young, tough man who was both kind and compassionate,” she said.

Flags for Freedom began at Locust Valley High School in 2015 as the brainchild of Operation Democracy President Kay Weninger, who had a vision to enrich the lives of high school students with knowledge of what the American flag means to our country. “I wanted to teach our students who our veterans were, who our active duty soldiers are, and I wanted to educate them about what Veterans Day was and what Memorial Day means,” she said.

Ms. Weninger told the audience of high school seniors and other guests that everything can’t be learned from books. “Today you will feel, and then you will remember this day,” she said. She also thanked the veterans who folded nearly 200 flags for the occasion.

Locust Valley’s Acting Superintendent Dr. Carl Bonuso shared personal memories from his time in the Army, recalling bringing the American flag to a mother after escorting her fallen son home to her. He shared what the flag means to him, describing the white stripes as a reminder of the beautiful and pure ideals of our nation, bordered by red to salute those whose blood was shed protecting that flag and the stars which lie in a sea of blue like the heavens in which our heroes, like Sgt. Hendriks, reside.

“They made their sacrifice so as to protect our rights to a life filled with liberty, and enabling us to pursue happiness. They have given you today, they have given you tomorrow and the day after that and the day after that, so that the generations that follow could enjoy these liberties,” Dr. Bonuso said.

Remarks from U.S. Marine Major Patrick Kelly and High School Principal Patrick DiClemente also brought meaning and emotion to the ceremony, which concluded with the presentation of the flags.

Members of the Bayville and Locust Valley American Legions lined up on the auditorium stage and handed the folded flags to each of the seniors, shaking their hands as the students thanked them not only for the gift, but for their service to our country.

The Locust Valley Central School District thanks Ms. Weninger, the veterans, the Locust Valley Parents’ Council and all of the guests that helped make the Flags for Freedom ceremony a memorable and unique experience, including the Locust Valley High School Band, which provided a beautiful patriotic musical interlude.

College Fair Helps Underclassmen Learn About Options

The high school gymnasium was packed on April 15 with college representatives manning tables covered in their school colors and displaying brochures, information cards and fun facts about their schools. More than 60 tables filled the room, offering something for everyone that visited.

The college fair allowed sophomores and juniors to learn about a variety of colleges and universities as well as facts about athletic recruitment, standardized test prep and military enrollment. The school counselors prepared a list of questions that students could ask to help them make the most of the fair.

High school guidance counselor Faith Keenan said that the college fair allows underclassmen to start getting an idea of what they are looking for before they have to submit applications in the fall of their senior year. “With so many schools in attendance, there is no risk in taking a brochure or asking a question, and often the answers to those questions help students narrow down what they are looking for in a college,” she said.

Ms. Keenan further explained that students may start to form relationships with the college representatives they meet, allowing them to email questions or make a good impression over the next year or two. “We invite a wide range of schools, from big to small and from geographically near to far,” she said.

Representatives from the United States Marine Corps and United States Army were also on hand to provide information about military options. Locust Valley’s Director of Physical Education, Health and Athletics Dr. Danielle Turner manned a table to help student-athletes learn about their options for playing collegiate-level athletics.

High school principal Patrick DiClemente said the guidance department did an excellent job of coordinating the college fair. “Our guidance counselors worked hard to ensure that students and their families were able to gather information about many different college experiences,” he said, adding that the guidance counselors will continue to work closely with students and answer questions about the college application process.

Winning Cases in the Courtroom

Nine high school students spent months preparing for roles that required them to argue real court cases in an actual courtroom in the Nassau County Supreme Court. The mock trial team began researching their case and learning their roles for the New York State High School Mock Trial Tournament in November and then entered the courtroom for the first time in February. Their efforts landed them in second place out of the original 52 teams competing.

Team members played the roles of three lawyers and six witnesses as they competed against other high school teams in front of a Nassau County judge. After arguing their case successfully, the Locust Valley team won the first six rounds and advanced to the semifinals.

The team’s adviser, high school teacher Patrick Barry, said preparing for the competition required a tremendous amount of work that taught the students about how a courtroom is run, legal terminology and strategy. The case they argued involved the succession rights to a rent-controlled apartment.

The mock lawyers needed to learn all the procedures of a real trial, as well as develop direct and indirect questions to ask witnesses on the stand. The mock witnesses learned every detail of the case so when they were cross-examined by other teams, they knew how to answer the questions with the facts. Rules of the tournament meant they could not make up any details relating to the case and could not lie on the stand.

The Nassau County Bar Association provided each team with an attorney coach to offer legal advice along the way. Richard Apat was the coach for the Locust Valley team and his endless hours of guidance were invaluable.

“Mr. Apat was an instrumental piece of our success,” Barry said. “He taught them to get right to the meat of the case, explaining that judges do not like listening to fluff. He also helped them with their strategy and taught them what would happen in the courtroom.”

Despite the assistance of an attorney, it was the hard work and dedication of the team that led to their overall success. Team captains, juniors Lisa Cheung, Julia Forte and Beatrix Postley, led the team, which also included Owen Byron, Sydney Collings, Hope Montell, Tighe Mullarkey, Griffin Postley and Ethan Vitale. The team was recognized and received a plaque at an awards ceremony on May 13.

Congratulations to the entire team on this outstanding accomplishment, which could only be achieved through the dedication of endless hours put in after school and on weekends.

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